MTV to Revive “120 Minutes”

A beloved music video show returns.

By Michael Preston •Published March 17, 2011•Updated on March 18, 2011 at 4:58 am

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Americans of a certain age may remember that MTV acutally used to be known for playing music videos. A lot of them in fact. And among the most beloved programs on the network was the angsty "120 Minutes," a seeming backwater relegated to the wee hours that specialized in beaming out music quaintly referred to at the time as "alternative" (read: hard to classify) to bleary-eyed teenagers and emo kids.

So in a move that might actually arouse non-ironic feelings of nostalgia in aging hipsters and music heads everywhere, MTV has announced plans to revive the long-running alt-rock franchise, reports New York magazine.

The newest version of the show will actually be its third incarnation, as the original ran from 1986 to 2001, and then again from 2001 to 2003. The show will run monthly and feature a weekly companion called "120 Seconds" that debuts March 18 on MTV's new indie-focused website, The Hive.

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And, as a special treat for fans, Matt Pinfield, the VJ most associated with "120 Minutes", will resume hosting duties when the new show airs.

"I've always loved working with MTV and its passionate staff," Pinfield said in a statement. "I am elated and proud to be part of bringing back one of the most influential and longest running music shows in the network's history. Everywhere I go, people from all over the world-talk about how much '120 Minutes' shaped their musical tastes and how much they missed it. The show helped expose, and ultimately, break new artists. MTV's historical role in breaking artists of all genres can never be underestimated. I'm looking forward to the exciting present and future of '120 Minutes' and '120 Seconds!'"

Many of the 1990s most prominent and critically lauded bands, among them the Smashing Pumpkins, Pavement, Oasis, Beck, No Doubt, Soundgarden and Radiohead, were either highlighted by interviews on the show or saw their videos go into regular rotation, boosting their exposure and helping many of them break through to the mainstream.